Rahul Gandhi – The New Congress President

Rahul Gandhi, yesterday took charge as the president of Congress in the presence of the 132-year-old party's top brass and his family members.

The Congress' central election authority (CEA) handed him over the certificate of his elevation to the top post during a grand event held at the lawns of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here.

47-year-old Rahul Gandhi was handed over the certificate in the presence of his mother and predecessor Sonia Gandhi, Sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and other party leaders.

While handing over the certificate, CEA chairman Mullappally Ramachandran termed the moment as "historic".
The change of guard at 24 Akbar Road is being viewed as an event of utmost significance, given the fact that the 134-year-old grand old party would like to improve its current Members of Parliament (MPs) tally of 44 in the 2019 general elections.

Sweets were distributed, slogans raised, crackers burst and party workers danced to drum beats to celebrate the change of guard. Artists from different parts of the nation were also seen performing outside the party head office. Congress workers marched from Rail Bhavan to party office. Sonia headed the party for 19 years since 1998

Meanwhile, parts of Lutyens' Delhi were dotted with posters hailing Rahul Gandhi's ascension with some of them describing the development as the beginning of a New India.

Rahul Gandhi succeeds Sonia Gandhi, who led the party for the last 19 years.

Rahul Gandhi, a scion of the politically influential Nehru-Gandhi family, entered politics in 2004, by contesting elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

The Amethi seat had been held by Sonia, after her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's death, until she transferred to the neighboring seat of Rae Bareilly.

Subsequently, he was appointed as the party general secretary in 2007 and was elevated as its vice president in January 2013.

Between 2016 and 2017, Rahul has been politically and astutely more aggressive with regard to the performance and achievements of the incumbent NDA regime at the Centre and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular.

In 2016, he mockingly described the government as a "suit-boot government", highlighting to Prime Minister Modi's monogrammed suit, which he wore during his Republic Day meeting with Barack Obama.

He took a jibe at the Prime Minister's "acche din" slogan, saying the latter has "failed the country".

The BJP, on the other hand, has often described Rahul as 'Yuvraj', or ‘Crown Prince’ and lashed out at him for enjoying benefits of 'dynasty politics'.